Copyright: European Union , 2018 / Source: EC - Audiovisual Service / Photo: Jennifer Jacquemart.

After terror attacks in recent years on Jewish targets in Paris and Toulouse, and high-level threats elsewhere, Jews in Europe are looking over their shoulders in a way unthinkable just a few years ago.

But what Europe’s Jews have long known, the European Union has now declared official. A landmark survey of more than 16,000 participants highlighted that almost 40% of European Jews have considered emigrating over the past five years. The survey shows that for Europe’s Jewish communities, armed guards in front of schools and shuls is just the public face of a permanent state of insecurity.

With the new report generating waves across Europe, Mishpacha spoke to Katharina von Schnurbein, the EU’s coordinator on combating anti-Semitism, to hear what the EU is intending to do about it.

The survey focuses on citizens’ perceptions of anti-Semitism, not on the reality. Where is anti-Semitism coming from, mainly?

I think we have essentially four different areas of anti-Semitism in Europe. There is traditional right-wing, racist anti-Semitism that can be combined in some countries with Christian anti-Semitism. Then, on the left, we have anti-Zionism and questioning of Israel’s right to exist. Then we have from within the Muslim community anti-Semitism on different fronts, including Holocaust trivialization and denial, which is also on the right.

Lastly, I think we shouldn’t forget, in the center of society there’s an increase also in anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, the idea that Jews have too much power. There is less of a barrier against making anti-Semitic remarks, even within the center. So a Jewish schoolboy can be harassed at school and the parents go to the principal and the principal just shrugs his shoulders and says, “You know there is a conflict in the Middle East, no wonder this plays out here.”

Our survey focused not only on the reality of anti-Semitism, but people’s perception of it. Perception is important. We have noticed a growing fear among Jews, who are questioning whether they or their children have a future in Europe.

Anti-Semitism has been a reality in Europe for years. How is the EU working to change things, and what do you expect national governments to do beyond declarations?

An important aspect has been the idea that you can’t fight it if you can’t define it. We have the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance [IHRA], which adopted a definition of anti-Semitism that the European Commission endorsed in 2017. Defining it makes anti-Semitism more visible in discourse and in media, and it can be used in training for educators and law enforcement agencies. That’s the basis to change the paradigm.

And then, of course, you need to break it down to the different areas, starting with education. That involves training teachers and shaping the curricula to give a full picture of Jewish life, not just one limited to the Middle East conflict or the Holocaust, but also showing the richness of the different Jewish communities. All of this needs to be more present in education.

Then we have the whole area of Holocaust remembrance, of Holocaust education. We have CNN figures that show a third of Europeans don’t even know anymore what the Holocaust was. I think it’s also important for the European Union to understand what the Holocaust means today, and what kind of responsibility we have for the Jewish community. We also need to find new ways of relaying this to young people, and explaining this to those with migrant backgrounds. All of that needs a much more holistic approach.

How should anti-Semitism be dealt with in Europe’s veteran Muslim communities and among the huge number of recent immigrants from Islamic countries?

On the one hand, I think it’s important not to stigmatize a whole community. On the other hand, clearly we must act — and we are increasingly acting — against radicalization and extremism, and that’s very important to discuss also with the member states and increase their cooperation.

I think this is part of a larger integration process into European life. Part of the integration should involve learning about Jewish life, and that Jewish life is part of Europe. I think it’s a opening a door to understanding our society. There must be an increased understanding, which means there must also be an active transmission of this understanding.

You mention delegitimization of Israel, and there’s no doubt that anti-Israel feeling has morphed into anti-Semitism. What is the EU doing specifically about left-wing anti-Semitism as in BDS, and does the EU not itself contribute to that by labeling products from the West Bank?

So, two points. One is the demonstrations, and we’ve been very clear that the conflict in the Middle East cannot be a source of violence in Europe. Second, in regard to BDS, we have been very clear that boycotts against Israel are unacceptable. It is clear also that when BDS activities harm the Jewish communities here, or for example, on campus, that is unacceptable.

But regarding EU policy on West Bank settlements, people must understand that there is a difference between Israeli policies and the security and wellbeing of Jews in Europe. That is important; we have to work on those parameters. We are dealing with the Jewish community here in Europe. By the way, there are also Jews in Europe who agree with the EU’s approach on this issue, so we have to be aware of that.

A few days ago it was reported that the European Commission gave a grant to the Islamic Human Rights Commission, whose Al Quds Day march in London features anti-Semitic banners. How can the EU be serious about stamping out BDS-type anti-Semitism when it supports this organization?

Financing the IHRC was a one-off mistake which was rectified as soon as we became aware of it by requesting the money back. We are also revising the procedures in order to ensure that such incidents are avoided in the future.

Last summer there were accusations of anti-Semitism against Jeremy Corbyn, who has talked of his “friends” from Hamas and Hezbollah. Is the EU worried about him coming to power, and what it says about anti-Semitism in Europe that he has come so far?

From a political point of view, I don’t want to speculate. We don’t engage here in hypothetical questions. But I think it is important that anti-Semitism is properly unmasked and addressed. The IHRA definition in the context of the Labour Party’s internal discussion was a helpful tool to unmask anti-Semitism. That is exactly how it is supposed to be used in public discourse.

Just 70 years after the Holocaust, it’s shocking that so many Jews are thinking of emigrating. What have you got to say to Europe’s Jewish communities? Are there brighter times ahead?

We’ve said many times that Europe without Jews is no longer Europe. The EU’s declaration of December 6 regarding anti-Semitism by all member states is a first step in the right direction. It’s an acknowledgment that there is a serious problem and that it needs to be tackled by all EU member states. So I think we see a difference in the awareness of the issue, and this started from an aspect of ensuring security. If you have to worry about your life, that’s when you start thinking about emigrating.

On the other hand, the ultimate goal must be normality. We need the security measures, but ultimately we want to come to a situation where these are not necessary anymore. And this will take years. But it’s clearly the ultimate goal that needs to be achieved, and that’s what we are working toward. (Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 741)